Is William S. James Elementary a good school?

William S. James Elementary ranks 258 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend William S. James Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 475 students attended William S. James Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of William S. James Elementary?

Students at William S. James Elementary are 66% White, 13% African American, 8% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

William S. James Elementary

Summary:

William S. James Elementary is a public elementary school in Abingdon, Maryland, serving 497 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Harford County Public Schools district, which is ranked 9th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

William S. James Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, with significantly higher proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics (48.6%) and MCAP English Language Arts (54.7%) compared to the district and state averages. The school's 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade proficiency rates in these subjects were also higher than the district and state. However, the school's 5th-grade proficiency rate in MCAP Science (24.3%) was lower than the district (30.9%) and state (23.9%) averages. Interestingly, the school has a relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients (30.38%) compared to some nearby schools like Deerfield Elementary (77.75%) and Old Post Road Elementary (79.93%), yet its low-socioeconomic status student group still performed exceptionally well, ranking 48th out of 546 Maryland elementary schools in 2020-2021.

Compared to nearby schools, William S. James Elementary has a higher percentage of White students (67.81%) and lower percentages of African American (11.27%) and Hispanic (7.65%) students. The school's per-student spending of $13,273 in 2020-2021 was also higher than the state average, and its student-teacher ratio of 15.9 in 2022-2023 is within a reasonable range. Overall, William S. James Elementary is a high-performing school that has consistently demonstrated strong academic achievement, particularly in Mathematics and English Language Arts, and effectively supports students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Detail:

Public K-5

1 Laurentum Pkw
Abingdon, MD 21009-1709

(410) 638-3900

District: Harford County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
258^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,862

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 475

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.1%

African American:

12.8%

Two or more races:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare William S. James Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details William S. James Elementary ranks better than 70% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 19^th among 33 ranked elementary schools in the Harford County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.32. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (66.1%), African American (12.8%), two or more races (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 27.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at William S. James Elementary is 15.2. 21 elementary schools in the Harford County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare William S. James Elementary employs 31.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William S. James Elementary is $15,862. 24 elementary schools in the Harford County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

William S. James Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Harford County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Harford County Public Schools 9^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for William S. James Elementary

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Rank History for all students at William S. James Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	33.85	590^th	803	26.5%
2005	46.00	476^th	805	40.9%
2006	54.15	410^th	804	49.0%
2007	55.75	409^th	818	50.0%
2008	64.13	330^th	838	60.6%
2009	73.69	229^th	850	73.1%
2010	72.64	236^th	855	72.4%
2011	78.41	137^th	853	83.9%
2012	78.69	135^th	857	84.2%
2013	68.77	263^rd	847	68.9%
2014	79.06	160^th	867	81.5%
2015	77.89	181^st	859	78.9%
2016	83.55	148^th	845	82.5%
2017	73.32	227^th	847	73.2%
2018	72.20	237^th	857	72.3%
2019	61.94	297^th	853	65.2%
2021	46.69	306^th	802	61.8%
2022	54.20	367^th	862	57.4%
2023	64.12	278^th	855	67.5%
2024	67.32	258^th	859	70.0%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William S. James Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	72.65	48^th	546	91.2%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at William S. James Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	48.37	296^th	796	62.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at William S. James Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	47.51	299^th	788	62.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at William S. James Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	32.84	322^nd	528	39.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, January 3, 2012

As a parent, I highly value a school that invites parents/caregivers to continue their involvement of their child's education and overall progress. My husband and I have walked into this school many times and have consistently felt a sense of community, caring, and connectedness. The office staff is exceptionally polite and helpful. Mr. Richardson, Principal, and Mrs. Donnelly, Vice Principal, have often been visible and accessible, addressing each child and adult by name. Both Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Donnelly are an enthusiastic presence, exhibiting a trickle down effect to teachers, staff members, children, and parents.

I couldn't be happier with the education that my son is receiving at William S. James. My son entered Mrs. Ewing's kindergarten class in September knowing only 50 sight words and now (4 months later) he's independently writing and reading entire sentences consistently. He counts by 2s, 4s, 5s, 10s, and 100s and can add and subtract all singular and many double numerical equations. His overall enthusiasm for learning has been overwhelming!

A superficial side note: I understand that a new playground is "in the works," however I feel additonal funding to update their 35-40 year old facility would greatly benefit the children. Close Quote

Enrollment information for William S. James Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	672	14	11	5	1	n/a	n/a	703
1990	725	19	15	7	2	n/a	n/a	768
1991	579	12	8	8	1	n/a	n/a	608
1992	625	5	7	8	2	n/a	n/a	647
1993	617	8	11	5	1	n/a	n/a	642
1994	590	10	13	3	1	n/a	n/a	617
1995	513	15	12	4	1	n/a	n/a	545
1996	513	15	12	4	1	n/a	n/a	545
1997	605	12	15	2	1	n/a	n/a	635
1998	611	20	16	3	0	n/a	n/a	650
1999	567	24	12	4	0	n/a	n/a	607
2000	550	34	14	7	0	n/a	n/a	605
2001	539	40	14	6	1	n/a	n/a	600
2002	481	51	15	11	1	n/a	n/a	559
2003	481	51	15	11	1	n/a	n/a	559
2004	453	48	18	5	2	n/a	n/a	526
2005	433	48	26	9	4	n/a	n/a	520
2006	404	58	21	12	3	n/a	n/a	498
2007	393	58	26	17	2	n/a	n/a	496
2008	401	61	22	17	0	n/a	n/a	501
2009	376	66	22	22	1	n/a	n/a	487
2010	364	69	27	20	1	n/a	n/a	481
2011	351	79	25	36	3	1	26	521
2012	351	76	23	33	5	1	25	514
2013	331	47	16	25	4	2	26	451
2014	309	40	15	29	4	2	22	421
2015	295	34	14	30	4	2	24	403
2016	305	33	17	29	4	1	34	423
2017	307	28	12	29	4	1	32	413
2018	306	36	11	22	3	1	28	407
2019	331	43	8	25	3	1	31	442
2020	338	55	12	30	2	0	35	472
2021	344	60	15	33	0	0	28	480
2022	327	60	15	38	1	0	29	470
2023	337	56	22	38	2	0	42	497
2024	314	61	21	37	2	0	40	475

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at William S. James Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	703	36.1	19.4	n/a
1990	768	38.1	20.1	0.7
1991	608	28.5	21.3	1.2
1992	647	31.5	20.5	1.5
1993	642	32.5	19.8	1.6
1994	617	32.0	19.3	2.9
1995	545	29.5	18.5	4.2
1996	545	29.5	18.5	4.2
1997	635	32.5	19.5	2.7
1998	650	32.5	20.0	2
1999	607	32.5	18.7	4.9
2000	605	33.3	18.2	4.6
2001	600	34.5	17.4	3.8
2002	559	34.5	16.2	9.8
2003	559	34.5	16.2	9.8
2004	526	33.0	15.9	8.9
2005	520	32.0	16.3	9.8
2006	498	35.0	14.2	11.2
2007	496	34.5	14.4	11.7
2008	501	34.9	14.4	16
2009	487	33.9	14.4	17.5
2010	481	33.9	14.1	18.9
2011	521	34.8	14.9	22.5
2012	514	35.6	14.4	23
2013	451	34.0	13.2	21.7
2014	421	30.7	13.6	22.8
2015	403	29.0	13.8	16.6
2016	423	27.0	15.6	16.8
2017	413	27.4	15.0	15
2018	407	27.1	15.0	15.7
2019	442	25.1	17.6	19
2020	472	28.0	16.8	17.2
2021	480	29.4	16.3	25
2022	470	30.9	15.1	25.7
2023	497	31.1	15.9	30.4
2024	475	31.1	15.2	27.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio William S. James Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	703	36.1	19.4	n/a
1990	768	38.1	20.1	0.7
1991	608	28.5	21.3	1.2
1992	647	31.5	20.5	1.5
1993	642	32.5	19.8	1.6
1994	617	32.0	19.3	2.9
1995	545	29.5	18.5	4.2
1996	545	29.5	18.5	4.2
1997	635	32.5	19.5	2.7
1998	650	32.5	20.0	2
1999	607	32.5	18.7	4.9
2000	605	33.3	18.2	4.6
2001	600	34.5	17.4	3.8
2002	559	34.5	16.2	9.8
2003	559	34.5	16.2	9.8
2004	526	33.0	15.9	8.9
2005	520	32.0	16.3	9.8
2006	498	35.0	14.2	11.2
2007	496	34.5	14.4	11.7
2008	501	34.9	14.4	16
2009	487	33.9	14.4	17.5
2010	481	33.9	14.1	18.9
2011	521	34.8	14.9	22.5
2012	514	35.6	14.4	23
2013	451	34.0	13.2	21.7
2014	421	30.7	13.6	22.8
2015	403	29.0	13.8	16.6
2016	423	27.0	15.6	16.8
2017	413	27.4	15.0	15
2018	407	27.1	15.0	15.7
2019	442	25.1	17.6	19
2020	472	28.0	16.8	17.2
2021	480	29.4	16.3	25
2022	470	30.9	15.1	25.7
2023	497	31.1	15.9	30.4
2024	475	31.1	15.2	27.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for William S. James Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$400 (3.5%)	$11,029 (96.5%)	$11,429
2020	$427 (3.4%)	$12,210 (96.6%)	$12,637
2021	$782 (5.9%)	$12,491 (94.1%)	$13,273
2022	$1,646 (11.0%)	$13,367 (89.0%)	$15,013
2023	$1,164 (7.3%)	$14,699 (92.7%)	$15,862

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William S. James Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 297^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 278^th of 855 Elementary schools	2.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	442	497	12.4%
African American	43	56	30.2%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	8	22	175%
Hispanic	25	38	52%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	331	337	1.8%
Two or More Races	31	42	35.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	19%	30.4%	11.4%

Schools Near William S. James Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)				MCAP English Language Arts (2024)				MCAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
William S. James Elementary	Public	K-5	1 Laurentum Pkw	Abingdon	21009	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3900	475	31	15.2	27.8%	314 (66.1%)	61 (12.8%)	37 (7.8%)	21 (4.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.4%)	67.3	258^th of 859 public elementary schools	70.0%		64.1	278^th of 855 public elementary schools	67.5%	20	60.7	43.9	38.9	48.6	61.5	61.0	38.9	54.7	24.3	$15,862	$1,164	$14,699
Abingdon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3001 S. Tollgate Road	Abingdon	21009	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3910	674	47	14.2	45.5%	301 (44.7%)	180 (26.7%)	59 (8.8%)	39 (5.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (13.6%)	62.9	291^st of 859 public elementary schools	66.1%		63	285^th of 855 public elementary schools	66.7%	6	51.4	28.8	26.7	36.2	54.2	64.8	61.1	59.9	27.5	$16,983	$1,210	$15,773
Emmorton Elementary	Public	K-5	2502 Tollgate Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3920	556	33	16.8	22.8%	323 (58.1%)	60 (10.8%)	44 (7.9%)	72 (12.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.7%)	87.7	98^th of 859 public elementary schools	88.6%		82.2	146^th of 855 public elementary schools	82.9%	48	70.7	54.7	44.7	56.9	67.0	76.0	65.9	70.0	50.6	$15,397	$1,163	$14,234
Ring Factory Elementary	Public	K-5	1400 Emmorton Rd	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4186	544	35	15.5	19.1%	427 (78.5%)	27 (5.0%)	26 (4.8%)	31 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.1%)	86.3	108^th of 859 public elementary schools	87.4%		78.4	175^th of 855 public elementary schools	79.5%	67	58.4	49.0	57.6	54.6	75.0	71.0	73.9	73.1	39.1	$16,562	$1,296	$15,266
Church Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4299 Church Creek Rd	Belcamp	21017	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 273-5550	722	50	14.3	57.2%	212 (29.4%)	316 (43.8%)	55 (7.6%)	33 (4.6%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	99 (13.7%)	55.6	332^nd of 859 public elementary schools	61.4%		45.7	400^th of 855 public elementary schools	53.2%	68	42.6	32.8	37.5	37.6	41.8	51.6	51.0	47.9	27.7	$15,712	$1,161	$14,552
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	900 S Main St	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4175	1,057	62	16.9	21.3%	723 (68.4%)	67 (6.3%)	104 (9.8%)	76 (7.2%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	83 (7.9%)	85.1	118^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.3%		84.4	122^nd of 855 public elementary schools	85.7%	4	70.7	61.6	40.6	57.4	73.7	81.1	60.4	71.6	36.4	$14,390	$1,296	$13,095
Edgewood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Cedar Dr	Edgewood	21040	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 612-1540	415	33	12.6	75.7%	91 (21.9%)	232 (55.9%)	60 (14.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.0%)	33.1	506^th of 859 public elementary schools	41.1%		26.7	574^th of 855 public elementary schools	32.9%	68	23.7	26.4	14.3	22.1	26.3	50.9	42.9	39.6	15.6	$20,336	$2,011	$18,325
Fountain Green Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	517 Fountain Green Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4220	456	33	14.0	23.0%	342 (75.0%)	31 (6.8%)	30 (6.6%)	23 (5.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.1%)	87.4	99^th of 859 public elementary schools	88.5%		91.2	69^th of 855 public elementary schools	91.9%	30	59.8	64.7	55.3	59.7	67.8	77.9	64.5	69.7	40.0	$17,994	$1,601	$16,393
Deerfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2307 Willoughby Beach Rd	Edgewood	21040	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 612-1535	714	54	13.1	73.8%	162 (22.7%)	345 (48.3%)	108 (15.1%)	10 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (12.3%)	16	710^th of 859 public elementary schools	17.3%		18	679^th of 855 public elementary schools	20.6%	31	19.1	11.3	9.4	13.4	25.7	23.0	24.0	24.2	11.3	$16,774	$1,713	$15,061
Bel Air Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	30 E Lee St	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4160	514	33	15.4	33.5%	387 (75.3%)	26 (5.1%)	57 (11.1%)	17 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.1%)	92.3	58^th of 859 public elementary schools	93.2%		91.5	67^th of 855 public elementary schools	92.2%	9	76.1	52.9	67.5	65.8	81.3	77.1	69.5	76.2	47.0	$14,450	$1,114	$13,335

William S. James Elementary

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Rank History for William S. James Elementary

Rank History for all students at William S. James Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William S. James Elementary

Rank History for Female students at William S. James Elementary

Rank History for Male students at William S. James Elementary

Rank History for White students at William S. James Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for William S. James Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at William S. James Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio William S. James Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for William S. James Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on William S. James Elementary

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near William S. James Elementary